STARTERS
G. Donovahn Keyes, Fairfax Christian
G. Trevor Keels, Paul VI
G. Darius Johnson, Episcopal
G-F. Garrett Johnson, Episcopal
G-F. Wes Peterson, O’Connell
RESERVES
Tyler Coleman (Paul VI), Ariel Goddot (Bishop Ireton), Tye Thompson (Bishop Ireton), Hayden James (Heritage Christian), Haze Green (Fairfax Christian)
Donovahn Keyes, Fairfax Christian–Keyes joined Fairfax Christian’s squad in 2019-2020 and was a major reason the Cardinals had a successful season. The combo guard was a scoring machine on his way to earning VISAA Division III first team honors. Don’t believe us? Ask Veritas, which Keyes riddled for 35 points in a playoff win in February. He’s got nice form and decent lift on his mid-range and three-point shot, both of which are considerable weapons. He’s strong and over six feet tall, helping him as a plus defender and rebounder at his position.
Trevor Keels, Paul VI–Not much more to say about Keels. If you’re worried the 2021 class might not get a fair shake recruiting-wise because of COVID-19, don’t worry about Keels. The Twitter universe erupted a couple months ago amid rumors he was ready to commit, but the consensus national top 20 recruit hasn’t quite gotten to that point yet. He had a fantastic 2019-2020 helping to lead PVI to a VISAA title. The tall shooting guard can take it to the rim in acrobatic fashion like a smaller guard, and remains a dead-eye shooter from long range.
Darius Johnson, Episcopal–Johnson broke out as expected this season for a strong Episcopal team. The over-six-foot point guard is just so strong attacking the rim. He showed what he’s capable of in a fast-paced game against Bishop Ireton, netting 40 points in a Maroon win. Johnson is one of those guys that plays compact to get through tight spots dribbling, but then surprises opponents with his ability to elevate at the rim. He’s fast, a good defender, and can hit a three-pointer even while defended closely. Johnson picked up offers from Seton Hall and Wake Forest recently, and should see his stock continue to rise.
Garrett Johnson, Episcopal–His teammate, Garrett, definitely saw his stock rise this season. Johnson scored 32 in that same Ireton game himself. The 6’6″ wing is known for his three-point shot, but conclusively demonstrated his ability to score and play in the open court even without it. He became much better at attacking the rim and playing at a college-like tempo. In short, he expanded his game this season, and colleges noticed. George Mason and George Washington offered him this year, among others. Next year he’ll combine with Darius and others as Episcopal will again be one of the area’s best.
Wes Peterson, O’Connell–A similarly-sized wing to Garrett Johnson is Wes Peterson, Jr. The elder statesman on a very young O’Connell team, Peterson served as a stabilizing factor for the Knights. A fantastic athlete, he also thrived in up-tempo situations. Peterson had 23, 25, and 26-point games in February, and we like that in those games he averaged around nine boards a game to boot. This is a guy that should see his stock go up considerably once play resumes–6’6″ athletic wings like Peterson have always been prized commodities in the basketball world. He’s one to monitor closely in 2021-2022.
Our “reserves” accomplished a great deal in 2019-2020. Tyler Coleman stepped right into the Josh Oduro role at Paul VI and did great. He scored at the rim, rebounded, and played solid defense against some of the WCAC’s dominant big men. Long wing Ariel Goddot and dynamic guard Tye Thompson were key ingredients in Bishop Ireton’s new up-tempo attack. Both made Honorable Mention all-WCAC, and both figure to carve out even bigger roles next season as seniors.
Hayden James is a scorer for Heritage Christian–the guard averaged north of 20 points a game this year for his squad. He’s a good shooter and on this team certainly could slide right into the starting lineup in that role and as a distributor. Haze Green was a second team VISAA Division III selection this year. He’s a strong and physical forward who is good for around a double-double in points and rebounds game in and game out.
Congrats to all, plus these Honorable Mention juniors that impressed us at some point this season!
HONORABLE MENTION
Cephus Wilson-Bahun (John Paul the Great), Aaron Cavezza (Christ Chapel), Tyshaun Pulley (Christ Chapel), Benjamin Cunningham (Christ Chapel), Obinna Chuke (Potomac School), Alex Holmes (Potomac School), Jack Dolan (Flint Hill), Eric Gordon (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes), Myles Webb (St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes), Jack Jensen (Paul VI), Luke Triggs (Paul VI)